Heat management plays a critical role in almost all energy-related applications. Research topics in this area include fluids that perform cooling functions in engines, materials that transmit energy, sensors that monitor environmental conditions and materials, processes and systems to manage heat.

Focus Areas

Thermal Materials

• Thermal energy storage
• Single and multiphase heat transfer
• Fluids – coolants and power
• Surface modifications
• Heat exchangers
• Thermo-electrics

Characterizations

• Thermo-physical properties
• Heat transfer and heat exchangers
• Fluids/materials interactions
• Advanced characterization of materials

Structural Materials

• Reactor structural materials
• Lightweight/propulsion materials
• High temperature materials
• Composites
• Cementitious materials
• Material design and optimization

Modeling

• Multiscale/multiphysics modeling of reactor structural materials
• Physically based material modeling – crystal plasticity
• Reduced order modeling
• Thermal modeling 
• Integrated computational materials engineering